Parachute harness



April 13, 1948.

J. R. c. QUILTER 2,439,613

PARACHUTE HARNESS Filed Oct. 19, 1945.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Even/Z67 Joan Pmmowo CUTHBERT Qu t- E BY.

l-us AGENT";

April 13, 1948. c, QUlLTER 2,439,613

PARACHUTE HARNESS Filed Oct. 19, 945

1 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ohtyv PA Y o/vo I HIS AQEMTI Patented Apr. 13, 1948 PARACHUTE HARNESS John Raymond Cuthbert WOkingEngland Quilter,

Application October 19, 1945, Serial No. 623,328 r In Great Britain September 27, 1944 Section 1, Public Law 690", August s, 1946 Patent expires September 27, 1964 This invention relates to parachuteharness for aviators.

The invention has for its main object to provide an improved harness of the type including a seat loop in which the aviator sits as in a sling, but comprising two front lift webs or like parachute connections each carrying one half of the entire load, these connections being individually locked to the respective extremities of the seat loop.

Another object of the a parachute harness of locking of the lift webs nections tothe effected by separate devices "adapted for individual locking and for simultaneous release.

A further object of the invention is to provide a harness comprising front lift webs or like parachute connections carrying the entire load, wherein the release of the harness is effected by manipulation of, a single controlling means; the operation of this controlling means frees the aviator completely from the harness, which can open out and slip off thebody as soon as said controlling means is operated.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, in Which- Fig. 1 shows a parachute harness provided with a central control box and two separate quickrelease devices at the lower ends of the front lift webs, the harness affording release at four points simultaneously.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the central control box, on a larger scale, showing the connections thereto.

invention is to provide this kind in which the or like parachute ,con-

Fig. 3 is a partial plan showing one of the side connectors pulling out of the central control box upon release.

Fig. 4 is a front view of one of the leg release devices, also on a larger scale with the cover plate partly removed. V

Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional views of the leg release device, in the engaged and the disengaged positions respectively.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the harness comprises two lift webs as which hang in front of the wearers body and carry the entire loa'd, these webs gassing through buckles i i over the shouldersand :ontlnuing to join the lift strops (not shown) in ;he parachute pack, which may be carried by a Jase frame 3 worn upon the back or otherwise. the lower ends of the lift webs Ill are connected two quick-release devices extremities of the seat; loop is;-

10 Claims. (01. 244-151) :2 detachably en- 2 gaged with lugs l3 onnected to the ends ot-a leg strap M which is adapted to pass down outside the wearers legs and across beneath them, so as to form a seat loop in which he sits as in a sling; both ends of this leg strap or seat loop are adjustably attached to their lugs I3 by means of frictional buckles l5 upon connectors l6 having the lugs 13 secured to their other ends, sothat; the leg strap M can be tightened evenly to ensure comfort in wear. Leg loops I 1, which may also be provided with adjustable buckles 18 or other tensioning means, are secured to two points near the center of the leg strap l4, these loops being carried up between the wearers legs and engaged around the leg strap connectors 15 before the latter are engaged with the leg-release devices H2. The main lift webs I!) are provided with side braces is extending between them and partly across the wearers chest; each of these sidebraces is fitted with means for detachable engagement with a central control box 20 mounted upon a to the harness. Wide webbing material, the control box 20, the length to wrap around one side (preferably the left side) and partly wearers body, being atto a pair of back braces 22 running diagonally from the shoulder buckles l0 downwards to opposite sides of the leg strap or seat loop M; the waist band is interrupted on one side (viz., the right side) so that it can open outan-d slip off the wearers body as soon as the harness straps are released by manipulation of the controlling means. The central control box 20 comprises a body having two opposite slots 23 for the admission of lugs 24 carried by the side braces IS, the lugs being engaged by spring-loaded plungers or look-- ing studs 25 of the known kind, the release of which is obtained by turning and then pressing arotatable knob 26 on the front of the box. Each lug 24 is integral with a ed in a guide socket 28 connected to the respective side bracellll; a lknurled sleeve 29, slidable along the exterior transverse pin 30 to the plunger inside the socket, which is slotted longitudinally to allow a limited movement of the pin. A flexible wire 3| attached to the plunger runs through a flexible casing 32 from the end of the socket down to the top of the quick release device 2 at the lower end of the lift web on this side of the harness; the Wire is tensioned by a spring or springs inside release device, as hereinafter described.

sliding plunger 21 mount-- of the socket, is secured bya the quick,

When engaging the side braces with the control box, the knurled sleeves 29 are gripped and slid along the guide sockets 28 so that the lugs 24 project from the sockets and can be pushed through the slotted walls of the box into locking engagement with the spring-loaded studsilihcrein; in this position, the springs inside the quick-release devices will be held under tension. The sleeves 2.9 bear upon projections 33 on the sockets holdin the latter firmly against the walls of the box, while any pull on the side braces is taken by the projections 33 and resisted by the sleeves"2 9 which are locked by the engagement of the lugs 24 inside the box, so that such pullzon'xthe side braces does not afiect the spring tension on'ithe wires :31.

Upon release of the central control by the customary rotation and pressing orthe knob :25, the locking studs 25 disengage the lugs "24, the

vplungers 21 being pulled back by the wires '31 under spring tension; as seen in Fig. 3, the knurled sleeve 29 slides back along the exterior of the guide socket to the limit of its movement, and therside brace Wis released from the control-box.

.Eachpf the quick-release devices that thelower ends of the :main lift webs 1-8 is simultaneously freed so that the lugs "l 3- connected .to the legstrap orseat loop are-disengaged inorder to release the latter irom the lift webs, with consequential release of the leg .loops Ll. Asseen in Figs. alto 6, the-quick release device 112 comprises a body formed with .a slotted base-plate orattachment 35 for the lift web 49, the bottom wall of the body being slotted at 35 to admit the lug l3 connected to the legstrap .orseat loop; upon the body there is mounted a cover plate st having a bottom flange-31 and two side .fianges 3,8. These flan es 38 carry attached pivots 39 engaged in the walls of t e-body, so that the-coverplate can rock upon the .axis of the ipivots; .above this .axis, the side flangesare cranked inwards to form cars 40 parallel to the back of the cover plate. Inside the cover plate, there is secured an L-shaped block 43l,, of which one edge is fixed to the front of the cover :plate Ibyscrews A2 and the other edge rests upon the bottom flange-3l of the cover 'plate; the block 4! Iforms .a guide for the locking stud .43 which .has the usual bevelled extremity 44 .projecting normally into the-,slot 35 and is loaded -by aspring 45, as seenin Fig.5.

I'Ihe flexible wire 3i on eac'h .side andits casing extend to the top of the corresponding leg-re.-

leasedevice 12, the wire entering through ascrewnipple '46 which provides an adjustableabutment forthe casing; the extremity of the wire .is attached to ashoe 41 which can .slide between the cars 40 of the cover and the flatsurface 4B inside thebody of the device. Thisshoeis provided with springs 49 anchored to the bottom wall .at 58, the tension of these springs being transmitted along the .wire 3| to the plunger -21 of the side brace lug 24.; thespringstB therefore remain tensioned, with the shoe d! in the raised position of Fig, so longaas the lugs v2-4 are engaged in the central cgntrolboxill.

,Belease or the lugs 2-4 by ma ipu ation of th rotatable .knob :26, as described'above, will allow the springs 49 of both leg relea-se devices to draw their shoes All down the surfaces 48 .into alignment with the axes of the respective pivots 39 m which position the shoes are below the ears 40 of thecover plates; the pull of the leg strap or seat loop lugs I l upon the studsl3 will therefore rock the .cover plates .36 and move the studs 43 clear of the lugs i3, which .thusescape as shown in Fig. 6, the release .of .both lugs 1-3 taking placesimultaneously and substantially at the same moment as the release of the lugs 24 of the side braces, so that the harness will open out and can slip off the wearers body as soon as the knob 26 is operated.

. "When reconnecting the harness, 'the'several lugs may bare-engaged with the locking studs of the central control box and leg-release devices in any 'order, one at a time or in pairs, and the knob 26 then rotated to lock the engagement.

The improved harness may evidently be modified to provide for direct locking and release of "the 'ends of the leg loops IT by providing them withlilss similar to ZIEg StIaPZOISBal-IIOOP the lugs l3 connected to the Hi; in this modification, each of the leg-release devices I2 will include two lock- T31E$thds1sildh as 43 for engaging the respective lugs,*both studs being carried by the same cover platcafi, and the wire 3| attached to shoe 41 may be tensioned by a single spring disposed centrally between the two studs 43.

What I claim is: 7 v1. Parachute harness for aviators, comprising two parachute connections ior carrying the en tire load, aseat for theaviator, a leg loop secured tossaid seat and adapted to be carried upbetween the .aviatoris .legs when seatedtwo connectors attached tothe respective ends of .said seat, means for locking said connectors individually 'to said connections, said leg loopbeing engageable with said connectors under control of said lockin means, .said connections, leg loop and locking meanslbc g located .in front of .the aviatorinthe pgsition of wear, and .a single member for simultaneous release of said locking means.

'2.'Parachutelharness for aviators, comprising twoparachute connections for carrying the entire load, a seat for'the-aviator, meansfor locking said connections individually to the respective ends of said-seadsa'id connections andloc'king means being located in front of the aviatorin the position of wear,,and means for fastening said connections together above the respective locking means, said ias'teningmeans including a control member for simultaneous releaseof said fastening and locknezm an 3. Parachute harness .for aviators, comprising two parachute connections for carrying the entire load, .a seat for .the aviator, means for locking said connections to the respective ends of said seat, said connections and locking means being located in front of the aviator in the position of wear, lateral attachments upon said connections, disconnectible means for fastening said attachments'together,'acontrol member for locking and releasing said ,fastening means, and operative connections between said fastening and locking means whereby the release of said fastening means causes release of said locking means.

4. Parachute harness for aviators, comprising two lift webs adapted for attachment to a parachute, a seatfor the aviator, connectors attached tothe-respective ends of said seat, disconnectible means for locking said connectors to said l it e said l t webs and loc i smeans bein located in front of the aviator in the position of wear and being arranged "to carry his entire weight when occupy ng said seat, side members upon said lift webs, disconnectible means for fastening .said side members together, a control member (for locking and releasing .said fastening v 5. Parachute harness for aviators, comprising two lift webs adapted for attachment to a parachute, a seat for the aviator, connectors attached to the respective ends of said seat, disconnectible means for locking said connectors individually to the respective lift webs, a leg loop secured to said seat and adapted to be carried up between the aviators legs when seated, said leg loop being engageable with said connectors under control of said locking means, said lift webs, leg loop and of said locking means and disengagement of said leg loop.

6. Parachute harness for aviators, comprising two lift webs adapted for attachment to a parachute, a seat for the aviator, connectors attached to the respective ends of said seat, disconnectible means for locking said connectors to said lift webs, a leg loop secured to said seat and adapted to be carried up between the aviators legs When seated, said leg loop being engageable with said connectors under control of said locking means, side braces upon said lift webs, disconnectible means for fastening said side braces together, said lift webs, leg loop, side braces, locking means and fastening means bein located in front of the aviator in the position of wear, said lift webs and locking means carrying the entire weight of the aviator when occupying said seat, a control member for locking and releasing said fastening means, and opera ive connections between said ment of said leg loop.

7. Parachute harness for aviators, comprising two parachute connections for carrying the entire load, a seat for the aviator, means for looking said connections to the respective ends of said seat, said connections and locking means being located in front of the aviator in the position of said connections,

ible casings, wires slidable within said casings, and springs tensioning said wires, the release of said fastening means freeing the adjacent ends of said wires for sliding movement under spring tension to release said locking means.

8. In parachute harness of the character described, a locking device comprising a body adapted for attachment to a lift web, said body having a slotted wall, a lug connected to one end of the aviators seat, a cover plate pivotall-y mounted on said body, a locking stud slidable within said cover plate, a spring controlling the sliding movement of said stud, means for retaining said cover plate in a position wherein said stud intersects the slot in the wall of said body, the insertion of said lug through said slot bringing it into engagement with said stud, and means for displacing said retaining means by manipulation of a control member external to said body.

9. In parachute harness of the character described, a controlling governing the release ness.

10. A parachute harness for an aviator, including front lift Webs carrying the entire load, a leg strap in which the aviator sits slingwise, two separate quick-release devices for individually locking said webs to the respective extremities of said leg strap, said quick-release devices being adapted for simultaneous release, and a single controlling means for effecting said simultaneous release.

JOHN RAYMOND CUTHBERT QUILTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are ofrecord in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,287,812 Manson June 30, 1942 2,370,357 Kjellson Feb. 24, 1945 2,405,333 Sheridan Aug. 6, 1946 

